Automatic stoker.



G. D. YOUNG.

AUTOMATIC STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1911.

Patented 0011.13, 1914.

a SHEETS- -SHEBT 1.

.WIJI'NEjiE/j/ I '%INVENTOR G. D. YOUNG.

AUTOMATIC STOKBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1911.

1,1 13,398. I v 1 Patented 0011211914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

t 0. D. YOUNG.

AUTOMATIC STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1'7, 1911.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

3 8HEETS-SHEET 3.

I IIIJL\\\\\\ VIA \\\\\UIIIIIIIIII"'.

\\\wwllllll llll/ l I I INVENTOR CHARLES D. YOUNG, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC STOKER.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 17, 1911.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914. Serial No. 627,830.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsyivania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Stokers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to automatic stokers of the underfeed type and particularly to the grate construction employed. The invention has for its principal objects; the provision which the rocking members are moved a maximum distance at the points in the body of fuel where the fuel has been consumed and a less distance adjacent the troughs where the coal isonly partly consumed; the provision of an improved drop grate; and the provision of an improved and simplified arrangement for operating the grates. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where1n:

Figure 1 is a section taken through a locomotive fire-box above the grates and shows in plan view my improved grate and Stoker mechanism, a part of the grate bars being brokenaway to more clearly disclose the cooperating parts, Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged .transverse section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a. detail of a slightly modified construction. As indicated in Fig. 1, the furnace is provided with two longitudinally extending underfeed troughs 1 and 2, although the number may be varied to suit conditions, and

these troughs are supplied with coal by means of the operating mechanism shown at the left hand end of Fig. 1, such feeding mechanism being immaterial in so far as the present invention is concerned. The underfeed troughs 1 and 2 are shown as provided with three auxiliary feed pistons 3, 4 and 5,

but this is also immaterial in so far as. the. present invention is concerned, and any number of feed pistons desired may be employed. Along each side of the furnace extends the fixed bars 6 and 7 (Fig. 2) which bars carry the upwardly inclined sets of fingers 8 and .9. On each side of each of the troughs 1 and 2 are the sets of downwardly inclined grate fingers 10, 11, 12 and 13, which sets of grate fingers, as shown, are cast integral with the upper edge portions 14 of the troughs l and 2, although this obviously need not be the case. The openings 14 illustrated in Fig. 2 are for the circulation of air, such circulation of air tending to keep the upper edges of the troughs and those portions of the troughs supporting the setsof grate fingers cool. At the center of the furnace is a non-rotary bar 15, and fitting over this bar 15 are U-shaped members 16 having integral therewith the upwardly inclined grate fingers 17 and 18. Also extending longitudinally of the furnace are the bars 19, 20, 21 and 22, which bars are mounted for rocking movement and carry the U- shaped castings, 23, each of which is provided with the two sets of fingers'24', and 2 for cooperating with the adjacent, fixed sets of grate fingers, the set of fingers 24 being shorterthan the set 25.

The purpose of inclining the grates in the manner just described and as illustrated in Fig. 2, is to secure the proper breaking-up of the body of coal as it passes from the troughs, and to prevent such coal from caking over the grates. The placing of the sets of fingers 10, 11, 12 and 13 below the upper edges of the troughs, tends to secure this result, and the inclination of the grates still further assists, as the tendency of the coal is to move down the inc1ine,"'and'thus produce a break in the body of the coal above the edges of the troughs and prevent the coal from heaping up at such points. The

making of the fingers 25 longer than the fingers 24 is desirable, asbythis arrangement a greater agitation of the fuel is secured at a point removed from the troughs,

and consequently at. a point at which' the combustion is more complete than it is above the fingers 24. The percentage of consumed matter is of course greater above the fingers 25, and the agitation of these fingers serves to keep the grate clean, while agitation by the fingers 2-1 tends to break up the coal and prevent its caking without an undue loss of fuel such as would occur if a violent agitation at this point were produced.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the U-shaped castings carried by the rock bars 20 and 21 are provided with downwardly projecting arms 26 and 27 and these arms are pivotally connected to a rod 28 extending through the fire-box and connected at its outer end to a crank 29 carried upon a rock shaft 30. As indicated in Fig. 1, this rock shaft 30 extends forward past the front end of the fire-box and is provided at such front end with another crank 31' (Fig. and connecting rod 32 extending inwardly and engaging an operating handle 33, by means of which the rock bars 20 and 21 may be operated. As shown in Fig. 1, the rock bars 19 and 22 are extended through the water leg of the furnace and are operated by means of handles 34.

The drop gate construction will be readily seenby reference to Figs. 1 and 3. This drop grate lies between the troughs 1 and 2, and consists of a single casting 36 having the upwardly projecting grate bars 37 and 38. This drop grate is pivoted at 39 as indicated in Fig. 3, and is operated by means of a.1ink 40 pivoted at the free end of the grate. This link 40 is actuated by the bellcrank lever shown in Fig. 3, whichbellcrank lever is pivotally supported upon a bracket 41 carried by the engine frame and has the two arms 42 and 43, the former be ing connected to the end of thelink, and the latter serving'as the handlefor operating the grate. The dotted lines indicate the position of the parts when the grate is in open position. It will be noted that when the grate is in closed position, the arm 42 of the bell crank lever and the link 40 are in alinement. -When the parts are in the position shown in the full lines, the weight of the handle 43 is suflicient to maintain the grate in its upper position without the use of catches or other fastening devices.

Another advantage incident to the grate above described resides in the fact that the grate extends from one trough to the other, so that when the grate is dropped to the dotted lines indicated in Fig. 3 a very large opening for dumping is provided, and no difficulty is experienced in getting the unburned fuel and ash out of the furnace, as is the case where a narrow drop opening is provided. The grate forms in efiect a basket into which a large quantity of fuel can be raked with the assurance that the contents willbe discharged upon the actuation of the handle 43.

The members 44, 45, 46 and 47 shown in Fig. 1, are integral grate castings extending from one trough to the other, and serving as bearing or supporting members for the bars 20 and 21, and, for the pivots of the drop grate. Any number of such supporting'membersmay be used as are found necessary.

The front end of the rock bars 19, 20, 21 and 22 are supported bylugs 48 cast with the upper edge portions 14 of troughs 1 and 2, thus avoiding extending the rock bars 19, 20, 21 and 22 through the water leg of the furnace.

If desired, the bar 15 can be mounted to rock, as illustrated in the modification in Fig. 4, the member 16 in that case being provided with an arm 49 connected to thetjplar 28 by the link 50, the construction in 0' er respects following that, shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following 1. In a furnace, the combination with a pair of underfeed troughs extending longitudinally of the furnace, of an intermediate V shaped rate, and rock grates between the outer edges of such grate and the sides of the trough.

2. In a furnace, the combination with a pair of underfeed troughs extending longitudinally of the furnace, of a grate intermediate the troughs and having its surface sloping upwardly from its central portion toward the sides of the troughs, and inclined rock grates between the upper edges of such grate and the edges of the troughs.

3. In a furnace, the combination with an underfeed trough, of a set of fixed grate fingers inclined downwardly from the edge of the trough, another set of fixed inclined grate fingers opposing the first set of fingers below such first set and spaced away therefrom, and a rock bar intermediate the two sets of fingers and provided with oppositely projecting sets of fingers for cooperating with the xed sets of fingers.

4. In a furnace, the combination with an underfeed trough, of a set of fixed grate fingers inclined downwardly from the edge .of the trough, another set of fixed inclined grate fingers opposing the first set of fingers below such first set of fingers and spaced away therefrom, and a rock bar intermediate the two sets of fingers and provided with oppositely projecting sets of inclined fingers for cooperating with the fixed sets of fingers, the set of fingers on the side of the rock bar away from the trough being longer than the other set of fingers on the mock bar.

5. In combination in a urnace, a central fixed grate bar extendinglongitudinally of the furnace and provided with two sets of oppositely and upwardly inclined grate fingers, a side rocking grae bar lying on each side of the central grate bar and provided with two sets of inclined oppositely projecting grate fingers, and an underfeed trough adjacent the outer side of each side grate bar.

misses 6. In combination in a furnace, a central fixed grate bar extending longitiudinally of the furnace and provided with two sets of oppositely and u wardly inclined grate fingers, a side roc ing grate bar lying on each side of the central grate bar and pro vided with two sets of inclined oppositely projectin grate fingers, and an underfeed trough a jacent the outer side of each side grate bar and provided with outwardly projectin sets of fixed grate'fingers.

7 n combination in a furnace, a longitudinally extending underfeed trough, a set of downwardly projecting fixed grate bar fingers at each side of the trough, and a rock bar lying below such fingers on each side of the trough and provided with two sets of fingers, one of which sets normally projects upwardly and cooperates with the fixed set 0 fingers.

8. In combination in a furnace, (a longi tudinally extending underfeed trough, a set of downwardly projecting fixed grate bar fingers at the side of the trough, and a rock bar lying below such fingers and provided with two sets of fingers, one of which sets cooperates with the fixed set of fingers, and has fingers of less length than the other set carried by the rock bar.

9. In combination in a furnace, a longitudinally extending underfeed trough, a set of downwardly projecting fixed grate bar fingers at the side of the trough, and a rock bar lying below such fingers and provided with two sets of fingers, one of which sets cooperates with the fixed set of fingers, and has fingers of less length than the other set carried'by the rock bar, and aset of fixed" grate fingers lying below the rock bar and 'tween the troug &

cotiperating with the outer set of fingers on such rock bar. 10. In a furnace, a pair of underfeed troughs extending longitudinally of the furnace, and a V shaped dro grate pivoted on an axis extending longltudinall-y of the troughs to swingtransversely 'downwardbetween the troughs and extending from one trough to the other, and means for operating the grate.

11. In a furnace, a pair of underfeed troughs extending longitudinally of the furnace, and a V shaped drop grate pivoted on an axis extending longitudinally of the troughs-to swinghtransversely downward between the troug sand extending from one trough to the other, link mechanism for supporting the grate, and a handle in the ash Jpan and extending through the side thereof 1 or operating the drop grate;

12. In a furnace a pair of underfeed troughs extending longitudinally of the furnace, and a V shaped drop grate pivoted on an axis extending longitudinally of the trough s to swin transverselydownward bea link pivoted to the free edge of the grate, a, bell crank lever pivoted adjacent the side of the ash pan and having its handle extending therethrough and its other end pivoted to the said link and adapted to be in approximate alinement therewith when the grate is in its uppermost position. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the. presence of the two. subscribed witnesses.

CHARLES DJYOUNG, Witnesses:

JAMEs C. BRADLEY, DOERING BELLINGER 

